The Ocean

by Sherrey
(Barrie, ON, Canada)

The Ocean

Close your eyes and settle into your breath. Place one hand on your belly, the other on your heart and become aware of your body rising with each inhale and lowering with every exhale. Draw a deep breath in through your nose. Pause. And exhale out your mouth. Do this again. Deeply through your nose. Hold. And let it go. One more time. Filling your lungs fully. Holding. And releasing.

Now let your breath return to normal. No longer changing it. Just letting it be.
Bring attention to how your body feels now. Where you feel it connected to your mat. Noticing any places of tension and imagining your breath going to them and allowing them to surrender and release.
You should feel completely at ease. Calm. Secure.
You now are ready to take an inner journey.
You are standing on a sandy beach. You look out and you see a beautiful calm ocean. Water as far as you can see and gentle waves rolling in towards you. You can smell the salt air. You can hear birds calling playfully. You look down at your feet and feel your toes curling into the soft sand. The sand is pleasantly warm and feels nice between your toes.
You look around you and realize you are alone on this beautiful beach. This does not bother you. You are enjoying spending time on this beautiful day. The sun is warm yet there is a gentle breeze and your feel amazing.
You notice a trail of beautiful shells and you begin following them, picking up each shell as you come apon it. With each one you pick up, you feel lighter. Stronger. Happy.
You come to the end of this trail and pick up the last beautiful shell and you realize that it has led you what seems to be a hand mirror just laying there on this beach. Almost like it was waiting just for you. It is ornate and beautiful. You can’t help but pick it up and look at your reflection. When you do, you realize it is a special mirror that sees you truthfully. It sees you strong, intelligent, beautiful and capable of doing anything you wish to do. As you look at yourself and allow these feelings of self love to sink in, you feel happy. Content. Inspired.

When you are ready, you return the mirror to its place on the sandy beach, knowing that you can find it again any time you need. And slowly make your way back up the beach, listening to the birds and the waves gently rolling. Feeling happier. Free. Strong.
Once you return back to where you began, you return your focus to the beginning. To listening to every inhale and exhale.